Probe ordered into allotment of Chandigarh horticulture waste project

Municipal Commissioner Amit Kumar today ordered an inquiry into the alleged awarding the city’s horticulture waste management project to a public sector undertaking by evading the tender process.

Raising the issue during the House meeting, former Mayor Anup Gupta alleged that the Chief Engineer had allegedly bypassed the tender process and directly awarded the city’s horticulture waste management project M/s Hardicon Ltd, a public sector undertaking.

Gupta stated he had written to the Chief Engineer nearly a month ago to seek detail regarding awarding work to Hardicon Ltd. Gupta had sought whether tender had been floated, the provisions of the General Financial Rules (GFR) 2017, Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) guidelines, and the Manual of Procurement of Works 2022, were followed, but he was still to receive a reply.

The Chief Engineer stated that he was also in the process of retrieving the file related to the project. The Commissioner said that strict action would be taken against any official if proved guilty and agreement would be cancelled, and a fresh tender would be floated. —TNS